En/Vlad Drakula
Swedish version Player: Ernő Vincze Name: Vlad Drakula Titles: „The Impaler”, Count of Transylvania, Knight of the Order of the Dragon Nationality: Romanian Home city: Bran Religion: Pagan (worships the God of Darkness, Chernabog) Background: Vlad descended from the House of Drakula, the family that has ruled Transylvania for centuries. His father, also named Vlad, was a knight and the commander of the Black Army. The young Vlad has spent the majority of childhood in the Castle of Bran, only going outdoors during the night. It is rumored that his father hired sorcerers to train him in the Dark Arts. When Vlad’s father died in a battle, Vlad became the Count of Transylvania. He soon gained a reputation of being a fearsome, ruthless and downright sadistic leader who takes pleasure in torturing his subjects, who drinks the blood of his enemies. However, he has also proven to know how to act charming and suave when spending time with other nobility in his castle or at the court of the Empress of Hungary in Buda. His most frequent guest was Goratrix, the mad barbarian who lived in the Carpathian Mountains during the time. He also founded a school in Transylvania, named Scholomance, where they train young scholars in various fields (including the Dark Arts). Vlad’s first time outside the Empire of Hungary was when he got invited to the dual wedding of Princess Jocelyn & Prince Leo Bonifaey and Eliona Tudor & Duke Edgar von Richmund, in Alvvania. He was taken to the island of Alvvania by the Viking Fenrir. He also met Arthur’s sister Morgana at the wedding, and as a fellow follower of the Dark Arts, they became good friends. A year later, he visited the wedding of Don Rodrigo and Lady Lynx in Valencia. This time he took his manservant Igor with him, as they were (unsuccessfully) looking for a wife for Igor. He also visited Morgana’s banquet in Avalon. Back in Transylvania, Aleksei, the former leader of the country of Cherson, arrived to the Castle of Bran, seeking refuge. Aleksei told Vlad that his land was invaded, his home was destroyed and his family was slain by the Golden Horde, a fearsome army from Mongolia. These news made Vlad worried, as he knew that the Golden Horde will soon venture into Europe and may attack Transylvania. He wrote a letter to the Empress of Hungary, asking her approval to revive his father’s old knightly order, the Order of the Dragon. During his visit to Damascus, Vlad recruited other leaders, including Goratrix, Faulter of Manx, Lady Nalios, Baloo of Quasimodo and King Uther, to join the Order. He also started building catapults in the Carpathian Mountains to defend the country. During one of his visits to the court of the Empress of Hungary, Vlad met Elizabeth Bathory, Princess of Bohemia. The two young nobles shared a similar interest in the Dark Arts, fell in love, and eventually got married. The couple spent their honeymoon at Camelot in King Arthur’s Court.